Can someone please tell me what is wrong with being cultured? What is wrong with being educated about the world you live in and about the people you live with? Too many people in today’s society follow the crowd of social media and the press before understanding and making their own judgement on cultural and global happenings. Many of us hate what we don’t understand, because of course it is easy to hate something if everyone else does then to take the time to learn something that you may think is worthless. But how would you feel if you were on the other side of the panel and were made to feel worthless? Everyone in this world deserves a chance, a chance in life, and a chance to be who they really are without being judged upon a stereotype. Many of us know the unpleasant feeling of being judged and how much it affects us. Striving us to prove that person wrong but for the Muslim community it can be a whole society or a whole country against a religion. Now a religion can be a massive impact on a person’s life, but it is not the person themselves. Everyone is individual and everyone interprets life in many different ways, Muslim or not. So, please open your eyes and your minds to the world and people around you, engage with the culture. Difference is what makes us unique and interesting. It is not something to dismiss or be scared of but yet something to embrace to make us more understanding and connecting humans.
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The Muslim Girl is a blog based on faith fashion and love. We interviewed the girl from behind the forum and asked her a series of questions in regards to her everyday life, her blog and her Muslim lifestyle. What is your basic Bio about yourself? I’m a Canadian born and raised Pakistani Muslim girl. I have a degree in English and Religions, as well as a degree in teaching. My passion in life is writing, and I love being able to write about the things that I’m passionate about, such as books, fashion, food, and lifestyle topics. What were your ambitions when you first started blogging? When I first started blogging, my intention was creating a magazine for Muslim girls, similar to the magazines that are popular for non-Muslim girls, such as Seventeen and Vogue Teen, etc. I grew up reading these magazines for fun, but they never really related to my life as a practicing Muslim girl growing up in the West with their tips on how to get the best bikini body and how to score a boyfriend. So I used these fun and frivolous magazines as a springboard for my blog as a way to inspire something more meaningful, but equally as fun. So how come you chose to focus on faith, fashion, life, and love as topics? When first drafting my blog, I sat down and thought about the things that I was most passionate about to share with young Muslim girls. Fashion was immediately the first one that came to mind, as it can be difficult to dress modestly as a Muslim girl in the West. So I wanted to include tips on how to dress modestly but still fashionably. Faith was immediately a quick second as Islam is not just a religion but a way of life, and so I wanted to include inspirational hadiths (sayings by the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him) or verses from 13
the Quran as a way of guidance without being preachy. Love is another topic that is often on the minds of young Muslims, because of all the taboo around dating and relationships. So this was another topic I thought was pertinent. Lastly, the topic of life is broad enough to include everything else. How do you combine traditional Muslim rules with fashion forward wardrobe choices? Being modest doesn’t mean that you can’t be stylish or fashionable, and this is principle is what guides my posts on fashion and style. At the same time, there are so many different opinions on what is considered modest and what isn’t in the world of fashion, and so when I write my posts, I merely give girls options on what they can do. I may not always personally agree with some of the style choices in terms of dressing modestly, but I like being able to provide options. Is there any Style hints and beauty tips you would share with us? Love yourself. Simple as it is, it can be so difficult, but it is so important to love and appreciate yourself. The way the media and advertising works nowadays, we are constantly told that we are not good enough; not pretty enough, not thin enough, not tall enough, not white enough. Seeing and hearing these messages throughout your life can bring anyone’s self-esteem and self-confidence down so it’s so important to bring yourself back up by telling yourself that you’re beautiful, that you matter, and that you are good enough. Self-confidence is the most beautiful accessory you can have. What do you think the most common problems are for Muslim girls? In my opinion, the most common problems for Muslim girls growing up 14
in the West are balancing faith with culture without becoming a social outcast, and it can be so difficult. There are many smaller problems that fall into this balancing act, which include what to wear, how to dress, how to act and interact with boys, how to find a life partner, how to fit in, etc. What do you think are the most common stereotypes of Muslim women and how do you think as a society we can change them? The most common stereotype of the Muslim woman is that she is oppressed, especially if she chooses to wear hijab or religious dress or if she chooses to dress modestly. This is a stereotype that stems from a lack of knowledge of Islam and its principles, especially around women. The media has a big role to play in this, as Muslim women are often not portrayed anywhere in print or television, or if they are, they are portrayed in a negative, submissive, and poor manner. Showing Muslim women in different lights is one way to go about changing this. What would be the most important thing you would like to say? I don’t live in the UK, but I do live in the West, and so what I’d like to say to the girls reading this magazine is: don’t judge. Don’t assume things without knowing. The media loves to portray things a certain way, but just know that it’s a very skewed reality. If there are any Muslim girls around you, get to know them. Ignore the stereotypes and talk to them; you’ll get to know that they’re girls just like you. What do you think young women need to embrace as an individual? No one is perfect, and least of all you. Again, we are so often told how we should dress, what we should look like, and how we should behave that we get so caught up in what we should and shouldn’t do that we forget to be ourselves. Be you, not because everyone else is taken, but because it’ll make you the happiest.
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Anbiya Saleem is the name behind the ‘diary of an awkward Muslim girl’ blog. In the interview below we ask Anbiya to let us into her personal life, an insight and reasoning into why she started her blog and what really makes her that awkward Muslim girl. So, what is your back story and current life situation? Currently I am in my second year of college. I just switched majors and it’s been insanely stressful. When I applied to college, my mom convinced me to do an accounting major. After three very unhappy semesters trying to pursue a business degree, as well as several breakdowns and a lot of soul searching, I decided that if I want to be happy I would need to switch majors. So now I’m doing nutrition. It’s funny because it opened up this whole conversation between my mom and I about what happiness was and how people would see me differently if I didn’t have a good degree, or any degree for that matter. I’ve always felt like I wasn’t cut out for college, but my mom refused to listen to me. She said that if I didn’t go, I’d end up feeling inferior to all my friends who had degrees in the future, regardless of whether or not I became a stay at home mom. She thinks it’s going to make me unhappy. She didn’t finish college, and for some reason it makes her feel like she’s inferior to her friends who did. That’s something I’ve had to think about a lot this past year. I’ve been trying to make decisions based on what would make me happy. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but it’s very common for people of Indian/Pakistani descent to go into the medical field, or engineering. They want to make good money. I don’t blame them. A lot of us are first generation immigrants. Our parents came here so we could be better off. Of course they want us to be wealthy. They think that’s what’s going to make us happy. And we need to justify
them coming here. But I feel like I know exactly what would make me happy and while money is a factor, it’s not the most important thing. And neither is some stupid degree for a job that would make me miserable. But maybe I’ve just given into the western ideas that I 17
should “find myself” and “explore new horizons” and “reject the status quo.” (did that get too deep? Did you want something more general? I’m 19, socially awkward, and frequently suffer from anxiety/panic attacks. How bout that?) But if you literally want backstory: I went to five different elementary schools, and then my mom attempted to homeschool me for half a year. We kept moving around wherever my dad could get a job. I had a hard time making friends (still do) but I like to think that the whole experience of struggling to make ends meet, and never staying in one place for too long, and meeting so many different kinds of people (some much less inviting than others) shaped me as a person and made me more empathetic if nothing else. I think I’m a decent human being because of it. I think it’s made me more aware of myself and the world around me. I could talk about that forever. I’ve written two high school reports and a college app essay about it. ( I went on so many tangents there I am sorry. ) What are your interests and hobbies? Well this is going to be wayyyy shorter than the first question. I like writing. I like writing stories and I like blogging and sometimes I try to write in a journal, but I only do that when I’m sad. Since the beginning of last year I’ve been super obsessed with all those food documentaries on Netflix. I’ve seen Food Inc. 7 times. I’m pretty sure my friends are sick of me texting them about GMOs. And I love cooking. I’d choose cooking over any other hobby. I can’t stand to half-ass a meal, even if it’s just a snack. I can’t even make ramen without putting in a few extra ingredients. Why do you describe yourself as the awkward Muslim girl? I’ve never been good at fitting in. I don’t feel like I totally fit in with the other Muslim/Indian/Pakistani girls, and sometimes I feel like a fish out of water with non-Muslims. Just the other day I was out to lunch with my friends, and we were all talking about our college experiences. They were talking about drinking, and smoking, and slutty roommates, and frat parties, and I couldn’t
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relate to any of that. I don’t drink, or smoke, and I don’t date, and I still live at home with my parents. Mind you, that isn’t the case with all Muslims, but my parents are a little too overprotective. Either way, I didn’t have much to add to the conversation, and for a while I was shocked to hear that my friends were doing these kinds of things. And then I remembered that it’s completely normal and just part of the college experience for everyone else. But even with other “brown” girls, I don’t feel like I fit in. There’s nothing wrong with them. But there’s this stereotype of high maintenance, cliquey girls who travel in packs, and are super outspoken and have ten best friends. I’ve never been like that. I’m socially awkward, and I can’t handle big groups of people, and no one has ever used the words “high maintenance” to describe me. But I know I’m not the only one. There isn’t just one type of brown girl, but I’d be lying if I said most of them don’t fall into the same category. Still, there are the awkward ones, like me, who don’t have 200 Instagram followers, and only have one or two best friends, and have no idea how to put on eye shadow properly. That’s who my blog is for. What initially got you into blogging? Blogging used to be this really lame thing that nerds did in the 90s. Somewhere around my senior year of high school it became cool and quirky again. I made my blog on the first night of spring break, at 2am while texting my best friend and watching He’s Just Not That Into You. I’ve always had a lot to say. Sometimes there’s no one around to listen, and sometimes there’s too many people, but on the internet that doesn’t really matter because when you post something it’s just out there. And I’ve always wanted to be an author. Blogging was sort of a new medium for me and I loved it because you get instant feedback from people who actually want to read what you wrote, as opposed to shoving a stack of papers in the hands of a friend who’d like to do anything other than read your short story during their lunch period. My first few blog posts were meant to be humorous. Over time I started talking about more serious, relevant topics, but for the most part I wanted to point out that yeah, sometimes it’s awkward being a teenage Muslim girl, but
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if you want to get through it you need to find the humor in it. My current mantra is “Shit happens, but at least it’ll make a great blog post!” What are you main revolutions you found out about yourself whilst blogging? The blog is kind of a happy place for me. I use it to vent, mostly, but it’s nice to imagine that there’s someone on a computer somewhere who’s happy to read my newest post. My favorite thing is when girls comment or email me saying they totally agree and they’re glad someone finally brought this up. Aside from feeding my ego, I think the blog helped me realize I’m not alone. I think everyone goes through that phase where they think they’re the only one experiencing whatever it is they’re going through, but that’s not true. And I think within the Muslim community especially, if for whatever reason you feel different from everyone else, it’s just very hard to talk about it with someone. I think it goes back to how we’re the children of immigrants who are trying to prove our worth. Our parents don’t want there to be anything wrong with us so when we have problems we’re told to suck it up, study harder, and don’t let anyone see you slip up. But thanks to the internet I’m learning that there are a lot of us who feel the same way, and we all kinda help each other. What would be the main label you would like to shake off about Muslim girls? My first thought is to address the notion that we’re oppressed. We really aren’t. We wear makeup, we dress how we want, we go out with our friends just like everyone else. And we don’t all look the same, contrary to popular belief. We aren’t all Indian, or Arab. Some of us are white, or black, or Hispanic or Asian. Some of us are new to Islam and some of us grew up with it. People tend to think that all Muslims are Arab and that couldn’t be further from the truth. And we don’t all wear the hijab, but that’s no indication of how religious we are or how “westernized” we aren’t. Mostly I’d just like to stress the fact that we are no different from any other girls. We like dancing, and cute boys, and taking pictures of our coffee just as much as any other girls.
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Would you describe yourself as average? Nope. Not at all. And I’m not saying that as if I’ve had some fantastic, interesting life, or as if my life has been some sob story full of adversity that I’ve had to overcome. But I know it’s been different from most people. Especially compared to non-Muslims. And I don’t think there’s any sort of “average” for Muslim girls right now. Being the children of immigrants has put us all in very unique positions. Some of us have more opportunities to assimilate into Western culture than others. This could mean anything from changing the way they dress or, or dating, how they practice their religion. And some of us have been raised more traditionally, encouraged (but not forced) to wear hijab and put more emphasis on our faith. And then there are the ones like me, somewhere between the two. Modest, but not enough to stand out. Faithful, but without much encouragement from our parents. Sometimes this leaves us fumbling and unsure of ourselves, but for the most part we get by. You can’t correctly define an “average” Muslim girl because there are too many different types right now. We’ve barely been here for more than one generation. Even on the other side of the world society has changed so much in such a short time that as a culture we’re a bit divided. There is no longer a “norm” that everyone conforms to. We’re all deciding if we’re going to be traditional or modern and whether or not we’re going to abandon our culture altogether.
So no, I am not average. But I don’t think anyone else is, either. If you had one sentence to inspire all our young female readers, what would it be? Your uniqueness is not a burden; it is a privilege and an opportunity to find yourself beyond the expectations of others.
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Hannah Habibi is an artist and designer whose work is driven by her Muslim heritage. The Bristol born creative, now lives in London working on her many different artistic pieces. When looking through Hannah’s portfolio you will clearly see she is a jack-of-all-trades. Turning her hand to photography, painting, illustration, set design, embroidery and typography to name just a few. The award winning artist work has been explained by The Times, which such detail and accuracy – “With her humorous juxtapositions and striking subjects, at first glance Hannah’s bold, playful work raises a smile, however the work is clearly underpinned by a deeper social commentary giving her attractive work depth and poignancy. Gender roles, religious norms and contemporary politics are all questioned”. The pieces of work I have decided to look into in more depth would include Habibi’s pop art series including the ‘We can do it’ and the ‘Through my eyes’ illustrations. The art works are instantly interactive with the bright colours and recognition of fun which connotates through the pop art theme. However the captions and messages that are in partnership with the pieces of work have an incredibly serious tone. It screams feminism through an Islamic woman’s eyes. It gives a community a voice when so many westernized people stereotype Muslim women as suppressed, creating a platform to those who are not heard. The strong feminine unity is refreshing and also relatable to all females, not just those of the Islamic religion.
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The ‘made you look!’ and ‘Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil’ pieces are of also pop art themes. These were however released separately from the pop art series, one in 2011 and one in 2013. I find these painted pieces humorous and cheeky which I think fits very well within British culture. Habibi has made a connection between those who see religion as a barrier. Lastly, I wanted to comment on Hannah Habibi’s illustration pieces. They are incredibly well drawn which complements the serious messages entwined within them. By using illustration it opens a whole new world that may not be able to be portrayed through realistic photography, allowing the onlooker to explore into their imagination to piece the rest of the image together. Although the majority of illustrations are black and white, I think Habibi has purposely done this to demonstrate that race or religion does not have too include colour; the viewer sees what they want to see. This means the artwork can then relate to more people, which is extremely clever. To conclude, Hannah Habibi’s work is extremely interesting and a pleasure to view – meaning those who are Muslim or not can enjoy her work. Although Habibi’s work is Muslim driven, she is an incredibly talented artist and by entwining her culture with art it reaches out to so many more people, as a picture paints a thousand words.
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we can do it! 2010
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through my eyes, 2010
made you look! 2013
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hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil, 2011
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The 2008 BBC programme ‘Women in black’ features around the dress sense and styles of Muslim women. As 10% of the global female population are Muslim it is easy for many onlookers to categorise these women as “shapeless black blobs”. It is introduced early in the programme that Muslim women are split off in to two halves: Asian Muslims and Arab Muslims. The difference being that Asian women speak a completely different language and Arab women state they are ‘closer to the faith’. Another difference being their dress code. Pakistani women are indulged in rich colours with excessive embellishment in comparison to Arab women who are mainly in dark or neutral tones. The programme goes on to explain that the hijab is interrupted in many different ways and styles with unique and imaginative twists. The fashion is readjusted depending on the culture and also the traditions of the individual. After looking at style, the presenter explains the basic rules of Muslim dress for women. Which include: No cleavage, bare legs, mid length or thigh showing garments, no showing of the under arm and no vintage items – there is prejudice against old and worn clothing. Throughout the programme, we go on a journey of meeting many creative and different women who are modern day Muslims. These liberal women would include Kia Abdula an author who pushes the boundaries of Muslim women. The Bangladeshi – British writer broke the taboo against sex and sexuality to the community by simply writing fictional stories about it and targeting it at Muslim women. Another interesting character we meet on the programme is Anila Baig, who is a columnist for ‘The Sun’. The journalist forms a very
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‘anti-traditional’ connotation by investigating into Islamic extremist behaviour. However, by having Anila as a journalist for one of Britain’s leading newspapers, it holds a clear message of a modern day British Muslim, which I think is extremely inspiring for both women and Muslims. The later leg of the programme sees the presenter visit Holland, investigating into Turkish and Moroccan Muslims who live in a very relaxed society. She meets some very interesting women including Soad Bouchentory who is a burka inspired designer. The programme platforms his collection of capturing the Muslim look and using the traditional wear in a more innovative way for more people to use. One of the most memorable encounters the presenter has was with Muslim Hip Hop artist Bad Brya. The twenty-something raps about Muslim identity and the use of re-mixing all influences of culture and style. She states “religion is individual it is between me and God – he is my judge not anybody else.” The programme enlighten me on the many different versions and occasions of dress in the Muslim community, as well as the many different women who are both for the religion but have a refreshing westernized twist with each and everyone of them. It is clear through the programme, that even back in 2008 there are many generations of Muslims who are moving forward with less traditions being followed. The main message for viewers to take away from this programme is not to identify Muslims by putting these women in one category even though they all follow one religion, they are all very much individual.
Words by lauren smith
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Shanna Bukhari is in her late twenties, an English Literature graduate and also a Muslim. Another thing about Shanna, which some people may know, is that she represented England in the Miss Universe contest. Shanna who comes from Rochdale, Greater Manchester, made it into the final round of Miss British after qualifying the Asian Miss Universe contest, a beauty contest for Asian girls who live in Britain. Shanna was up against 59 other girls, which was held in Birmingham back in May 2011. Shanna admitted that her decision when attending this pageant drew criticism from some members of the Muslim community. “Three men wrote on Facebook that they would not support me because of my sin. They said I would rot in hell, “said Shanna. “But this is my desire. This is not about appearances, “said Shanna. She also added “Muslim girls generally do not follow these types of competitions because Islam does not allow it. But in my opinion, there are many other things in these competitions than just being beautiful.” “I wanted other girls from the Muslim community to also feel they could do this. My family supported me, and my friends (including those who wore headscarves) also supported me at this time. Shanna 44
did not bother with the bikini sessions that have traditionally been part of the Miss Universe contest for many decades. The organizers of the pageant commented on Shanna’s appearance back in 2011 saying, “It’s nice to see the final of Miss British this year reflects the multiculturalism of modern British society”. Which I think is incredibly true; although Britain is multi-ethnic we should stand united. Although Shanna received much hate mail from many extreme Muslims, it does not make her any less of a Muslim in my opinion. She is simply embracing both of cultures and surroundings, as well as popularizing the Muslim faith in perhaps areas of the world that are not so educated on the faith. I think she is incredibly brave and a true representation of a modern day Muslim woman living in Britain. Shanna also states how she is driven by inspiring other young Muslim girls - “This is my passion and I want others to follow my example.” Shanna is currently an entrepreneur with multiple skills including a model, a television presenter and freelance celebrity make up artist. She is currently setting up her own fashion label in Pakistan. Words by Lauren Smith
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In the 2014, BBC3 programme ‘Make me a Muslim’ Shanna Bukhari investigates into all the British women converting to the Islamic faith in the last few years. At the beginning of the episode, a ‘You Gov’ Survey is mentioned to display some of the effects and opinions of the majority of Britain. These include: 69% of people believe that Islam encourages the repression of women and 50% of those people associate Islam with terrorism. However, in 2013, 5,000 people converted to Islam in the UK, and half of these were white and ¾ were women. The episode then looks into the presenter Shanna, who is a complete juxtaposition to some of the newly modified Muslim women. Shanna was brought up around the faith with many generations following the religion, however she is now completely westernized with her dress sense (no hijab) and has competed in many beauty pageants. In comparison to Shanna, the white British females have interpreted the religion more seriously, with some in head-to-toe burkas. Although some women take the religion more seriously than others, the Muslim community of women is still strong. The programme shows some of the ‘modern British Muslim’s’ who have a choice in wearing a headscarf and pick their own culture movements they want to follow, as well as chasing knowledge if she wishes (with the Qur’an stating so). They also look into the juxtaposition of lives with some Muslim girls turning to fashion modelling and others contently living traditional lives. But overall, the faith has conducted them with structure and peace for themselves, no matter what race they are or how traditional they may be. Words by Lauren Smith
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